Integration and assimilation as forms of acculturative adaptation in the Diasporic Lives in Ali’s Wedding

Abstract

Acculturation plays a central role in understanding how diasporic individuals negotiate cultural identity and belonging in multicultural societies. As migration continues to shape contemporary social landscapes, examining how different generations respond to cultural expectations provides important insight into these adaptation processes. Although this issue has been discussed multicultural themes, limited research has examined how Ali’s Wedding film illustrates Berry’s acculturation strategies, particularly the contrast between integration and assimilation. This gap indicates the need for further analysis that connects Berry’s theoretical model with the cultural experiences portrayed in the film. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze how integration and assimilation are represented through first- and second-generation characters in Ali’s Wedding, using Berry’s acculturation theory as the primary framework. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method to examine character interactions, dialogue, and cultural behaviour in the film. Data were organized through five steps: (a) watching the movie to understand its narrative and cultural nuances, (b) reading the movie script to obtain accurate dialogue, (c) identifying data related to acculturation, (d) classifying the data based on Berry’s indicators of integration and assimilation, and (e) reducing the data to focus on the most relevant findings. The results show that the first-generation immigrant, demonstrates integration by maintaining Iraqi cultural tradition while adapting to life in Australia. In contrast, the second-generation immigrants, display assimilation. Mohammed adopts informal Australian speech to align with local norms, while Ali embraces Australian monochronic values and departs from traditional expectations to pursue personal goals.